Cushion underframe



NOV. 5, 1940. J, M HALL CUSHION UNDERFRAME Filed March 19, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Mzntw 05 79/01 f/Zd f I NOV. 5, 1940. J HALL cUsHION....UNDERFRAME Filed March 19, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet" 2 J- M. HALL Nov. 5, 1940.

CUSHION UNDERFR'AME Filed March 19, 1958 -4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 5, 1940.

J. M. HALL CUSHION UNDERFRAME Fil ed March 19, less 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jose hMf? whh Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UlTED STATES CUSHION UNDERFRAIWE Joseph M. Hall, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Cardwell- Westinghouse Company, a. corporation of Delaware Application March 19, 1938, Serial No. 196,890

9 Claims.

This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to means for cushioning the shocks to which the cars are subjected during use.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improved shock absorbing mechanism for railway cars in which the shocks incident to the use of the cars are partially absorbed by the car and the remaining portion transferred to the next adjacent car without seriously affecting the car body itself.

A further object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for cushioning the sudden shocks of pull and buff of railway cars and for transmitting the unabsorbed force through rigid draft bars of the car directly to the draft bar members of an adjoining car.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a floating draw bar member having a yielding connection with the car underframe and superimposed car body.

Another object of the invention is the provision of yielding means for movably connecting the draw bar member of a railway car to the underframe and body of the car.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved railway car having a draw bar member extending substantially throughout the length of the car and having a yielding connection with the underframe, that is simple in construction, efficient in operation and that may be assembled with a minimum of time and expense.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the underframe of a railway car showing the invention in position thereon in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 5 of one end of the underframefl Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 6 of the underframe at the central portion of the car; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 7 of the opposite end of the car; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2 Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a section on the line !---1 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig.2; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 10 is a section on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 6. It has been proposed to employ a draw bar member extending substantially the full length of the car with shock absorbing mechanism, or a draft gear, at each end of the car but since there are conditions under which these draft gears may go solid, this arrangement is objectionable because of the shock to the car bodies when the draft gears do go solid and for the further reason that when the gears go solid under buff before the external. force has expended itself, the compression stress applied to one end of the draft or bar member will tend to buckle or bend the same.

The present invention seeks to remedy these difliculties by the provision of what may be termed a floating draw bar member that has a yielding connectionwith the car body whereby the shocks will be yieldingly transferred to the central portion of the body of the car instead of to one end thereof as in the previous constructions.

In the form of the construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, friction draft gear mechanism. is employed forconstituting the yielding connection between the draw bar member and the body of the car.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character l0 designates generally a railway car, Fig. 5, having the underframe H and the superstructure or body portion l2 of the car. The underframe ll comprises the side sills I3 and [4, Fig. 1, the end sills l5 and IS, the center sills l1 and IS, the bolsters l9 and 2|, and the crossbearers 22. Since the underframe ll, except for the slight modification of the center sills l7 and 18, is of the usual and well-known construction,

it is not thought necessary to further illustrate or describe the same.

Slidably. mounted between the center sills l1 and I8 is the draw bar or draft member 23, Figs. 1, 2 and 9, which extends from end to end of the car. This member may be of any suitable construction but, as shown, it comprises a pair of channel members 24 and 25, Figs. 9 and 10, turned back to back and having their upper flanges connected by a plate '26, Figs. 9 and 10, which may be'welded or riveted to said flanges. The draw bar member 23 is supported in any suitable manner as by means of draft gear carriers 21, Fig. 6, and by the lower member of the cross bearers andby the'lower members 20 of the bolsters-Fig. '7. Draft gear keys 28, 29, 3| and 32, inclusive, extend transversely through the center sills, as will presently appear.

Since the arrangement at each end of the car is the same, the construction shown at one end only will be considered.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the ends of the bars 24 and 25 are provided with reinforcing members 33 and 34 which are rigidly connected to the ends of the bars 24 and 25. The reinforcing members 33 and 34 are provided with elongated openings 35, each of which is surrounded by inwardly and outwardly extending hubs or bosses 35 and 31. The hubs 36 are adapted to extend through, and snugly fit, the corresponding openings 38 in the outer ends of the channel members 24 and 25. The openings 35 are adapted to receive a draft gear key 23 which is held in position by suitable bolts, cotter pins, or the like, 39 as is common in such constructions.

A housing 4| having rearwardly extending arms 42, 42, Fig. 2, is mounted in the space between the center sills outwardly of the ends of the draft bar members 24 and 25 and has its forward end extending through the opening in the carrier iron 40. The housing 4! is provided with shoulders 43, 43 against which the inner ends of the draft bar members are adapted to abut and are held in this relation by the key 28 which passes through openings in the arms 42 that are in alignment with the openings 35. The outer ends of the key extend through slots in the center sills as shown most clearly in Fig; 2 of the drawings. The slots 50 permit a longitudinal movement of the pin and consequently of the draw bar member 23. This housing 4! is channel shaped and is open at its lower side for receiving a draft gear 44,

Figs. 21 ands. It is provided adjacent its ends with enlarged portions or pockets 45 and 46 in which are the follower plates 41 and48, respectively. ,These pockets provide shoulders spaced apart a sufiicient distanceto permit the compression and expansion of the gear, that is, the proper movement of the follower plates 41 and 43, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. I'he draft gear 44. is held in position within the housing by the supports or saddles 49, Fig. 5, and has the conventional yoke 5| extending about the same asis usual in such constructions. The front ends 52 of the yoke are provided with the conventional elongated slots 53, Fig. 2, which are adapted to receive a key 54-for attaching theyoke to the coupler bar 55, the inner end of which is provided with a slot 56 for receiving said key. The inner end'of the coupler bar is-in contact with the follower 41 as is usual in such constructions. Since the draft gear44- may be of any well known construction, it is not thought necessary to describe in detail, the construction of this gear. It may be of the type known as the Westinghouse Friction Gear or any other suitable type.

The key 54 extends outwardly through elongated slots 51 in the side walls of the housing. These slots are of sufiicient length to provide clearance for movement of .the key 54in compressing the gear.

IThecenter sills l1 and 18 at the bolsters are provided, on their inner sides, with'pan-shaped reinforcing members 58 and 59. The outer flanges BI and 62 of these reinforcing members are adapted to constitute abutments for the inner ends of the arms 42, 42 for limiting the inward movement of the draw bar member 23. Upon buff or pull from either end of the car, the draw bar member 23 is free to move longitudinally of the car exceptfor the yielding connection between the draw bar member and the underframe of the car.

The draw bar members are provided at their opposite ends with a shock absorbing mechanism which is a duplicate of that just described.

Suitable yielding means are provided for connecting the draw bar member 23 to the car underframe. Any suitable yielding means may be used. In the form of device selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, a shock absorbing mechanism 53, Fig. 3, is employed for this purpose. This mechanism may be of any conventional type, that shown has a wedge mechanism at each end thereof with the central wedge or thrust members 64 and 65 extending outwardly from the ends thereof. Since this type of cushion mechanism or draft gear is old and well-known in the art, it is not thought necessary to show and describe the same in detail.

The thrust or wedge members 64 and 65 are adapted to engage loose blocks or contact members 66 and 61, Fig. 6, which are mounted on the keys 29 and 3!, Figs. 3 and 6. The center sills I! and I8 are provided with bearing eyelets or flanged bushings 68 and 69, spaced longitudinally of the sills and rigidly secured in slotted openings in the sills. Likewise, the draw bar member is also provided with corresponding eyelets H and 12 in a manner already described. The bushings or eyelets H of the draw bar member are adapted to align with the bushings 58 of the center sill and these aligned bushings are adapted to receive the draft gear pin 29. Likewise, the openings in the bushings 59 and 12 receive the pin 3|.

Since the bearing eyelets or bushings are constructed similarly to the bearing eyelets 33 and 34, it is not thought necessary to again describe the same in detail any further than to state that each of these eyelets comprises an elongated slot through which the keys extend. In the normal inoperative position of the draw bar members 23, the draft gear 63 will hold the keys in the outer ends of the slots.

In the operation of the device, assuming that a bujfing force is applied to the coupler bar 55, the force will tend to compress the gear 44 which will absorb a portion of the shock and simultaneously the force will tend to move the draw bar member longitudinally of the car and this in turn will tend to compress the draft gear member 63, similarly forcing it outward and due to the fact that the key 3! is in contact with the outer end of the slots 69 of the center sill, a part of the force will be transferred to the underirame through this cushioning mechanism but a great portion of the stress will be absorbed by the draft gear 63. The draw bar member 23 will, in the meantime, be moving to the right, Fig. 3, and from an inspection of Fig. 4, it will be seen that this force will be transmitted to the coupler bar 55a through the end draft gear 44a where part of the force will be absorbed in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen that the stress due to bull or pull will be transmitted along the draft bar member 23 from one car to that of the adjacent car without violent shocks to the car frames and bodies.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of 'my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railway car having a pair of center sills, said sills having alined slotted openings through their intermediate portions, a hollow rigid draft member between said sills and extending continuously from end to end of the car,

said draft member having slots in alinement with keyed to said center sills by a key and slot conkeys, a draft gear at each end of said oar, means for connecting said last-named gears to the ends of said draft member at each end of the car, draft yokes embracing said gears, and a coupler bar connected to said yoke at each end of the car.

2. In a railway car having a pair of center sills, a draft member between said sills, said draft member comprising channel members turned back to back and extending from one end portion to the other end portion of said car, a housing at each end of said car, each housing having arms for embracing the adjacent ends of said draft member, said arms having shoulders thereon against which said channel members abut, a key extending through alined openings in said arms and channel members and slidably mounted in slots in said center sills, a pair of followers carried by each of said housings and each of said followers having a limited movement relative to the corresponding housing, a friction draft gear at each end of said draft member between and engaging the corresponding followers, a yoke embracing said gear and followers, a coupler, a key for connecting said coupler and yoke together, said key having its ends slidably engaging slots in said housing, and means for yieldingly connecting the central portions of said draft members to said center sills.

3. In a railway car having an underframe comprising center sills, a rigid draft bar member extending from end to end of the car between said sills, means including draft gear means carried by said member for providing a yielding connection between said member and sills at the central portions of said center sills, said first-named means comprising a loose motion connection between said draft bar member and sills for providing relative longitudinal movement thereof, a draft gear housing at each end of the car, each housing having rearwardly extending arms offset outwardly to form shoulders, the inner ends of said arms of each housing lapping the ends of said draft bar member, a key extending through elongated slots in said center sills and through alined openings in said arms and draft bar member for holding said draft bar member and arms connected together with said draft bar member abutting said shoulders, the slots through said center sills being elongated for providing a limited longitudinal movement of said bar relative to said sills, a set of pockets in each of said housings, a set of followers in each set of pockets, a draft gear between each set of followers, said pockets being enlarged longitudinally of the car, whereby said followers may move toward and from each other during the compression and release of said draft gear, a draft yoke for each draft gear extending about said draft gear, a coupler member and a key extending through an opening through said coupler member and through elongated openings in said yoke and housing for connecting said coupler member and yoke together.

4. In a railway car having a pair of center sills,

a draw bar between said sills and movable longitudinally thereof at each end of the car, housings, keys for connecting said housings to the ends of said draw bar, said keys extending through slots in said center sills, a friction draft gear carried by each of said housings, a draft yoke embracing each of said draft gears, a coupler keyed to each yoke, and yielding means for anchoring an intermediate portion of said draft bar to said center sills, said means comprising friction mechanism nection.

5. In a railway car having a pair of center sills, said sills having alined slots through their intermediate portions, a hollow draft member between said sills and extending from end to end of the car to form a rigid member on buff, said draft member having slots in alinement with the slots in said center sills, keys extending through said slots, abutment members having integral sleeves through which said keys extend, a friction draft gear between and in engagement with said abutment members, said draft member comprising housings keyed to the outer end portions thereof, abutments on intermediate portions of said sills for engaging the inner ends of said housing for limiting the inward movement of said draft members, friction draft gears carried by said housings, and coupler members keyed to said last-named draft gears.

6. In a railway car having a pair of center sills, a rigid draft member between said sills and extending from one end portion of the car to the other, means for yieldingly connecting the central portion of said draft member to said sills, a housing at each end of said draft member, a key for connecting said housing to said draft member, a friction draft gear carried by each of said housings and compressible therein, yokes surrounding said gears, a coupler, and a key for connecting said coupler and yoke.

'7. In a railway car having a pair of center sills, said sills having alined slotted openings through their intermediate portions, a hollow rigid draft member between said sills and extending from end to end of the car, said draft member comprising a pair of channel bars turned back to back and a plate extending across said bars from end to end of said bars and rigidly connected to the upper flanges thereof, a housing secured to the opposite ends of said channel bars, said housings having shoulders against which the ends of said channel bars abut, a key extending through alined slots in said channel bars adjacent the ends thereof and through elongated slots in said center sills, said housings each being provided with pockets for receiving followerplates, a friction draft gear in each pocket between said plates, a coupler extending into each end of said draft member into contact with the outer one of said followers, a yoke extending about each of said draft gears, a key extending through alined slots in said yoke and coupler and through elongated slots in said channel bars at each end of the car, two sets of alined slots through the central portions of said center sills and said channel bars, and a double acting friction draft gear between said keys and between said channel bars.

8. In a railway car, an underframe comprising a pair of center sills spaced apart, a car body rigidly mounted on said underframe, a draw bar member comprising a pair of channel members extending longitudinally of said underframe between said center sills, a housing at each end of the car, a key extending through said housing, said draw member and through slots in said center sills, a draft gear at each end of said draw bar member within the respective housings and each having a yoke, a coupler associated with each draft gear, a key and slot connection between said housing, yoke and coupler,- a key for connecting said draw bar member and housing together, said key extending through slots in said center sills, and means including shock abings in said draft bar member and arms and through slots in said center sills, a draft gear secured in said housing at each end of the car, a yoke extending about said gear, a coupler, a key extending through alined openings in said yoke and coupler and through slots in said housing, and means including a draft gear for yieldably connecting said draft bar member to said center sills.

JOSEPH M. HALL. 

